Representatives of JSC “Institute for Transport Economics and Development” (IEDT) took part in the XVII International Economic Forum “Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum”, held on May 12–17, 2026, in Kazan.

The Forum aims to strengthen trade, economic, scientific, technical, social, and cultural ties between Russia and countries of the Islamic world.

Participants included Russian and international politicians and public figures, scientists, business representatives, and experts.

As part of the forum, the 1st Meeting of the Russian-Afghan Working Group on Trade and Economic Cooperation was held. During the meeting, participants discussed, among other topics, cooperation on the development of a preliminary feasibility study for the Trans-Afghan railway construction project, for which IEDT acts as the Russian developer. Andrey Tikhomirov, Head of the Center for Macroeconomics and International Projects at IEDT, took part in the meeting.

At the session “Caspian Cooperation: The Role of Russia in the Development of Islamic Initiatives,” Pavel Bochko, Head of the Department for International Market Conditions at IEDT, delivered a presentation titled “The Role of Railway Transport in Unlocking the Potential of the North–South International Transport Corridor.”